1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for operating a drive train having a hydrodynamic clutch, or respectively a turbo clutch.
2. Description of the Related Art
A drive train is known from the current state of the art. It consists typically of a primary drive machine that drives a working machine via a hydrodynamic clutch. It can be used for example in the field of industrial drive applications, in particular for driving of material conveyors, crushers, or similar applications.
A hydrodynamic clutch or respectively turbo clutch that can be driven in the drive train is known for example from DE 10 2004 006 358 B4. The turbo clutch described therein features a contactless temperature measuring device, so that above a predetermined maximum temperature, the primary drive machine that drives the working machine by way of the clutch is reduced in its efficiency or is in particular shut off.
The advantage when utilizing a contactless thermal measuring device according to the aforementioned German patent document is in particular, that the temperature measurement occurs directly in the operating medium and therefore temperature changes that always accompany load changes in the drive train can be very quickly recognized. Based on this direct availability of the temperature values and load states accompanying same, it becomes possible in particular, to accordingly warn the operator in various warning stages, so that the operator can reduce or completely eliminate the load before a thermal overload of the hydrodynamic clutch occurs.
A basic problem remains, however. For the event of dynamic changes of operating states or load states, in particular when the system had to be shut off due to a thermal overload of the hydrodynamic clutch, there is the danger that, in the event of a new start of the system a thermal overload occurs again very quickly, since a start of the line is always connected with a corresponding temperature rise in the hydraulic clutch. This temperature increase that occurs typically at the start can—in particular with a not yet sufficiently cooled off system—ensure that after the start an emergency shut-off occurs again very quickly, because a thermal overload of the hydrodynamic clutch occurs again. This presents a considerable disadvantage for the system user.
It is therefore the objective of the current invention to cite a method that improves the operation of a generic drive train and that, in particular avoids the aforementioned disadvantage.